Life-guard or fender for cars



(No Model.)

J. INGRAHAM. LIFE GUARD 0R FENDER FOR CARS.

---1 I .511,432. Patented Bed. 26. 1893'.

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TATES PATENT LIFE-GUARD OR FENDER FOR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 511 ,432, datedDecember 26, 1893.

Application filed October 29, 1892.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMEs F. INGRAHAM, of West Peabody, in the countyof Essex and State of Massachusetts, have'invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Life-Guards or Fenders for Cars, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention has relation to life-guards for railway cars, and isparticularly adapted for use on electric and other street cars oper--ated by power. d

It is the object of the invention to provide such improvements inlife-guards or fenders as will with certainty prevent a person or objectmet with upon the track from passing underthe wheels or truck-frame ofthe car.

The invention consists in providing the truck-frame with a scoop-guardhinged thereto in front of the wheelsand which may be normally supportedat a safe distance above the road-bed, combined with a swinging-guard soconnected with the scoop-guard as that when the swinging-guardencounters an object on the track it will release the scoopguard andallow the forward end thereof to drop down on the track, and, as itwere, scoop.

up such object and with certainty prevent the same from passing underthe truck frame or wheels of the car, all as is hereinafter describedand claimed.

Reference is to be had to the annexed drawings and to the letters markedthereon, forming a part of this specification, the same lettersdesignating the same parts or features, as the case may be, whereverthey occur.

Figure 1, is a perspective view of the invention, showing it attached tothe truck frame of the car, together with the forward wheels and axle ofthe latter. Fig. 2, is a longitudinal sectional view, showing thescoop-guard in raised or normal position. Fig. 3, is a similar sectionalview, showing the scoop-guard as released and lowered, and theswinging-guard as moved by contact with the feet of a per son on thetrack.

In the drawings,'a a represent the wheels, I) b the rails upon which thewheels travel, and c the truck-frame.

cl designates a' frame with which the various parts of my improvementare connected, the said frame being connected with the truckframe andextending in front of the wheels.

- with the bari.

Serial No. 450.325. (No model.)

its rear end upon the truck-frame or upon the frame d, the saidscoop-guard consisting of abroad sheet of metal or other suitablematerial sufficient in extent tosupport and carry upon it the body of aman. The supporting part f of the scoop-guard extends horizontally, andits front edge is preferably, though not necessarily scalloped orotherwise formed so as that the said edge may not be straight, in orderthe better to adapt it to scoop or catch'up an object encountered by it.The back part g of the scoop-guard extends vertically at substantially aright angle to the supporting part, and is hinged, as at h, to theframe.

' 2' is a bar connected with the upper edge of the back part of thescoop-guard, and j designates springs connected with the said bar andthe frame d, and operating with a tendency to draw the upper edge of theback part of the scoop-guard forward, rocking the latter on its pivot orhinge and lowering the scalloped lower end thereof upon the track.

it is a swinging-guard pivoted upon 'the forward end of the frame 01,the said swingingguard consisting of a frame in which are arrangedindependent vertically movable bolts or rods, so that the said bolts orrods may be having connected therewith one end of a pitman or bar 19 theother end being connected With this description supposing the parts tobe arranged as shown in Figs. land 2, the device will be in its normalposition. In case an unusual object is encountered on the track, thebolts of the swingingguard will strike said object, move theswinging-guard upon its pivots, raise the forward ends of the bars Z,lowering their rear ends so as that they may pass under the bar '2' andallowing the springs j to act upon the scoop-guard so as to lower itsforward end upon the track or road-bed, as shown in Fig. 3, thus puttingthe scoop-guard in position to catch or scoop up upon its holding parttheobject encountered, all as will be readily understood without furtherdescription.

To restore the scoop-guard to normal position the operator may but takehold of the outer end of the lever 0, move the same backward, pushingthe back part g of the scoopguard in the same direction through themedium of the pitrnan 23 until the rear ends of the bars Z snap upagainst the forward face of the bar 1.

Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described a way ofconstructing and using the same, though without attempting to set forthall of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes of its use,it is declared that what is claimed is 1. A life-guard for railway carscomprising in its construction a swinging-guard consisting of a frameprovided with independent vertically movable bolts or rods, a pivoted orhinged scoop-guard, and connections between the swinging-guard andscoop-guard,whereby when the former encounters an obstruction, it maynnhinge or release the latter, as set forth.

2. A swinging-guard for railway cars consistin g of a frame providedwith independent vertically movable bolts or rods, as set forth.

3. In a carguard the combination of a pivoted or hinged scoop-guard,springs arranged to normally depress said scoop-guard, pivoted lockinglevers Z Z arranged to engage said scoop-guard, and support the same ina raised position against the pressure of said springs, and aswinging-guard engaged with the forward ends of said locking levers, andadapted when displaced, to displace said locking levers and therebyrelease the scoop-guard, as set forth.

at. In a car guard the combination of a pivoted or hinged scoop-guard,springs arranged to normally depress the same, locking devices adaptedto engage said scoop and lock it in a raised position, means fordisplacing said locking devices to release the scoop and permit itsdepression by the springs,and an operatin g lever whereby the scoop maybe raised and re-engaged with the locking devices, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 12th day of October, A. D.1892.

JAMES F. INGRAHAM.

\Vitnesses':

ARTHUR W. ORossLEY, HORACE BROWN.

